9 Most Important Career Planning Tips

1. Never Stop LearningLife-long learning is your keyword.

The world is constantly changing, and everybody is looking for new ways of doing business.

If you have decided that your current skills are good enough, you have also decided that your current job is good enough.

But if you want a career in the future, you should add regular updates to your skills and knowledge.
2. Ask, Listen And LearnA good listener can learn a lot.

Listen to your co-workers, your boss, and your superiors. You can learn a lot from their experience.

Ask about issues that interest you, and listen to what they say. Let them tell you about how things work, and what you could have done better.

Most people will love to be your free tutor.
3. Fulfill Your Current JobYour current job might be best place to start your career.

It is often very little that separates successful people from the average. But nothing comes free.

If you do your job well and fulfill your responsibilities, this is often the best way to start a new career.

Talk to your supervisor about things you can do. Suggest improvements. Offer your help when help is needed. In return ask for help to build a better career. It is often possible - right inside your own organization - especially if you have proved to be a valued employee.
4. Build Your NetworkYour next career step might arise from your contact network.

Did you know that more than 50% of all jobs are obtained from contact networks?

If you have a good contact network, it is also a good place to discover future careers, to explore new trends, and to learn about new opportunities.

Spend some time building new contacts, and don't forget to maintain the ones you already have.

One of the best ways to get serious information from your network is to regularly ask your contacts how they are, what they do, and what is new about their careers.

5. Identify Your Current JobYour current job should be identified, not assumed.

Make sure you don't work with tasks you assume are important. This is waste of time and talent.

When you start in a new job, talk to your superior about your priorities. If you are not sure about what is most important, then ask him. And ask him again. Often you will be surprised about the differences between what you assume, and what is really important.

6. Identify Your Next JobYour dream job must be identified.

Before you start planning your future career, be sure you have identified your dream job.

In your dream job, you will be doing all the things you enjoy, and none of the things you don't enjoy. What kind of job would that be?

Do you like or dislike having responsibility for other employees. Do you like to work with technology or with people? Do you want to run your own business? Do you want to be an artist, a designer or a skilled engineer? A manager?

Before building your future career your goal must be identified.
7. Prepare YourselfYour dream might show up tomorrow. Be prepared.

Don't wait a second. Update your CV now, and continue to update it regularly.

Tomorrow your dream job may show up right before your nose. Prepare for it with a professional CV and be ready to describe yourself as a valuable object to anyone that will try to recruit you.

If you don't know how to write a CV, or how to describe yourself, start learning it now.
8. Pick The Right Tools
You can build your future career using a lot of different tools. 

You can add a lot to your career by studying books and tutorials Doing short time courses with certification tests might add valuable weight to your CV. And don't forget: Your current job is often the most valuable source of building new skills.

Don't pick a tool that is too heavy for you to handle!
9. Realize Your DreamsPut your dreams into action.

Don't let a busy job kill your dreams. If you have higher goals, put them into action now.

If you have plans about taking more education, getting a better job, starting your own company or something else, you should not use your daily job as a "waiting station". Your daily job will get more and more busy, you will be caught up in the rat race, and you will burn up your energy.

If you have this energy, you should use it now, to realize your dreams.

Source : w3schools ListPost, management, Professional

Causes and Treatments For Insomnia

Insomnia is a common, devastating problem that can cost us our energy, our good mood, our ability to function and ultimately our health. If the situation becomes chronic, it can lead to more serious health problems and even a shortening of our life span, according to experts. 

We spend over a third of our time sleeping. But unfortunately for many of us, sleep isn't a simple ON/OFF switch we can just activate at a moment's notice.  Do you struggle to sleep even though you feel tired and sleepy? Do you wake up in the middle of the night anxiously watching the clock, calculating how much time you've got left to sleep?

 

If you've answered yes to any of these questions, you're not alone. About 2 out of 5 people share your problem. 

Acute vs. chronic insomnia

Insomnia also varies in how long it lasts and how often it occurs. It can be short-term (acute insomnia) or it can last a long time (chronic insomnia). It can also come and go, with periods of time when a person has no sleep problems. Acute insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. Insomnia is called “chronic” when a person has insomnia at least three nights a week for a month or longer.

 

Common Symptoms of Insomnia:

Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired

Waking up frequently during the night

Trouble getting back to sleep when awakened

Exhausting sleep

Relying on alcohol to fall asleep

Waking up too early in the morning

Daytime drowsiness, fatigue, or irritability

Difficulty concentrating during the day

 

Causes of Insomnia: Figuring out why you can’t sleep

Insomnia in itself is not the problem but is usually a symptom of a variety of other potential problems. The trick is identifying the underlying cause of our insomnia and finding the right treatment for that problem. Sometimes insomnia hides more serious medical or psychological issues, and sometimes there is no easy cure for it, and one must take special supplements or pills to sleep.

Let's put on our detective hat and try to find the reasons for our insomnia. Sleep detectives like ourselves take note of factors such as stress, anxiety and depression, which are responsible for about half of all insomnia cases. In addition, they note the daytime habits, the sleep routine and the actual physical health of the person to understand their impact on the quality of their sleep.

 

Psychological issues that can cause insomnia:Depression, anxiety, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder.

People who suffer from these mental stresses have a hard time sleeping, not only because of their inner turmoil, but because the body is physically preventing sleep because of these issues. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep tends to make these problems worse, and thus a magic cycle is born, where we are constantly tired, cranky, anxious and depressed, and can't sleep to boot.

Medications that can cause insomnia:antidepressants; cold and flu medications that contain alcohol; pain relievers that contain caffeine (Midol, Excedrin); diuretics, corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, high blood pressure medications. Make sure to always check with your doctor, and research the medication you're taking to make sure that one of the side effects is not insomnia.

Medical problems that can cause insomnia: asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, kidney disease, cancer, chronic pain.

Sleep disorders that can cause insomnia:Sleep apnea (trouble breathing during the night that results in the person not breathing, then waking up many times in the night without knowing why), narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome.

How to Cure Your Insomnia: 

Some of the things we do to cope with our lack of sleep may actually do us harm, such as drinking a lot of coffee during the day to wake up or alcohol (red wine for example) at night to fall asleep. Often, changing the habits that are reinforcing sleeplessness is enough to overcome insomnia altogether. It may take a few days for your body to get used to the change, but once you do, you will sleep better.

 

That is the easy solution half the time. If a change of habits and relaxation really don't do the trick, there are remedies on the market that can help.

Adopting new habits to help you sleep

 

- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. Noise, light, and heat can interfere with sleep. Try using a sound machine or earplugs to hide outside noise, an open window or fan to keep the room cool, and blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block out light.

- Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Support your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends, even if you’re tired. This will help you get back in a regular sleep rhythm.

- Avoid naps. Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at night. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes before 3 p.m.

 

- Limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Stop drinking caffeinated beverages at least eight hours before bed. Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening; while alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it interferes with the quality of your sleep. Quit smoking or avoid it at night, as nicotine is a stimulant.

Preparing your brain for sleep

Your brain produces the hormone melatonin to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. As melatonin is controlled by light exposure, not enough natural light during the day can make your brain feel sleepy, while too much artificial light at night can suppress production of melatonin and make it harder to sleep.

To boost melatonin production, use low-wattage bulbs, cover windows and electrical displays in your bedroom, avoid bright light and turn off television, smartphone, and computer screens at least one hour before bed. 

 

 

Learning to associate your bed with sleeping, not sleeplessness

Use the bedroom only for sleeping (and sexual activity). Don’t work, watch TV, or use your computer or smartphone. The goal is to associate the bedroom with sleep, so that when you get in bed your brain and body get a strong signal that it’s time to nod off.
Get out of bed when you can’t sleep. Don’t try to force yourself to sleep. Tossing and turning only increases the anxiety. Get up, leave the bedroom, and do something relaxing, such as reading or listening to soothing music. When you’re sleepy, go back to bed.

Breathing from your belly. Most of us don’t breathe as deeply as we should. When we breathe deeply and fully, involving not only the chest, but also the belly, lower back, and rib cage, it can help relaxation. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Progressive muscle relaxation. Lie down or make yourself comfortable. Starting with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10, and then relax. Continue to do this for every muscle group in your body, working your way up from your feet to the top of your head.

 

The problem with sleeping pills and the new generation of sleep formulas

A new generation of sleep formulas is replacing the sleeping pills we've known so far. The problem with sleeping pills is that they usually work by lowering the activity of our nervous system. This presents 3 problems: The first is that they leave us drowsy in the morning. The second is that they contribute to our continued cycle of insomnia, and the third is that they are addictive.

The new formulas are a reaction to these problems, as we see today that medicine is turning more and more to natural ingredients. These include ingredients such as Longan fruit extract, Muceuna Pruriens herb extract and Valerian root extract,  and have the following advantages over the old sleeping pills:

 

- They are made from natural ingredients

- They don't leave you sleepy the next day

- Are non-addictive

- Preserve your focus 

- Are impossible to overdose on

Please also read my earlier post on Tips for better Sleep:

http://svsaibaba.blogspot.in/2013/01/tips-for-better-sleep.html

Nine Steps to Dealing With Negativity

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it."

You may be in daily interaction with negative people, be they friends, family members, a romantic partner or colleague. You love them, you care about them, you can't just cut them out of your life, but they are negative and their negativity is eating away at you. What can you do?

The best way of dealing with life's challenges is to take a good look at ourselves and take responsibility for what we think, feel and do.

Never give your power away by blaming others for what you have or don't have, what you feel or don't feel. Once you do so, you'll become a victim of circumstance, and instead of using your time and energy to beat life's challenges, you'll sink to a dark and miserable place. 

Here are 9 smart, positive and effective ways of dealing with the negativity of the people close to you:

1. Give up the need to complain.

Make sure you are taking responsibility for your feelings and mood. Don't go complaining that other people's negativity is affecting you, because it will only create more negativity. Take responsibility for your thoughts and feelings and see what you can do to make yourselves feel better and change the existing situation.

"Whoever has limited knowledge of human nature and seeks happiness by changing everything but his own attitude, will waste his life in futile efforts."
Samuel Johnson. 

2. Similarity Attracts

Good brings about good, bad brings about bad, and if we want to or not, we pull into our lives events, situations and people that reflect our internal state. Ask yourselves: "How am I feeling? Am I happy, excited, thankful and calm? Or am I anxious, frustrated and judgmental?"

You may find that you yourselves radiate misery to the environment and that part of the negative energy surrounding you is in fact a reflection of yourselves.

3. Don't believe everything you think.

This is definitely one of the hardest things to learn. Look closely at the negative people in your life. What is it about them that gets you going? That affects you so much? Is what they are doing really that bad or is your brain playing games with you?

Remember, the brain is configured to look for trouble, and one it focuses on someone's negative qualities, it'll be very hard to get it to see the positive side of things. It doesn't mean it's not there.

4. Focus.

Ask yourselves: "Am I ready to find the good in these people? Am I able to see their good qualities?"

Let the answers come naturally, make sure you are being honest with yourselves.

If you feel like you're insistent and won't change the way you are looking at people and situations, don't give yourselves a hard time. This takes time and patience, and when you are ready, you'll make this step. Remember, we all have good in us.

"It's so hard when I NEED to do it and so easy when I WANT to do it."
Annie Gottlier.

5. Don't make their problems YOUR problems.

For their sake and yours, make sure you are not adopting their problems and becoming negative about them yourselves. If you want to cure negativity, sliding down right along with the negative person won't help, just make it worse by validating their thought and behavioral patterns. Rather, focus on solutions, not problems. Offer that and nothing else.

6. Taking ownership.

Instead of being a victim and judge, blame and pass criticism, you need to take full responsibility for your thoughts and feelings, and take a different approach.

"Everything that annoys us in others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves." Carl Jung.

Don't waste your time obsessing and thinking: "They are ruining my energy, making me miserable, their negative energy is infecting my own..." Instead, say to yourselves: "How can I use this for my advantage? Is there something I'm doing wrong? How can I improve the situation and increase my positive energy to be stronger than their negative energy? What do I learn from all of this?"

7. Come with your own positive energy.

Focusing on negative energy cannot create positive energy, and the other way around is also true. Focus on making yourselves happy enough that you have great positive energy, and you will see the negativity cringing away from it. 

Remember, energy is contagious. 

How to put up positive energy? Focus on the things you like about the negative people, focus on things you love about yourselves, life and the world around you. Think of loved ones, of things that make you happy. That way, you will increase the positive energy exponentially.

If you incur negative energy by thinking about bad things, the opposite is also true, and you'll be able to hopefully 'wake up' your fellow workers. You can't focus on them both at the same time, so choose - happiness or misery.

8. Be part of the change you'd like to see.

The world is no more than a reflection of who we are, deep inside. 

Try to go for a feeling of well-being, to live a positive life, a merry life, that has love, trust, and the pursuit of happiness...

We cannot change others, but only ourselves. This is the only way to change the world. 

Think of it this way: When you are happy, the world seems happy, and the sky is open and blue. When you are sad, the world seems sad as well, and the sky is grey and uncaring, leaving you alone to deal with your pain.

Flow with life events, don't resist them, live in harmony and be the change you wish to see in the world.

"Never underestimate your power to change yourself. Never overestimate your power to change others."Wayne W. Dyer.

9. Awareness and acceptance

Work on understanding life's inevitable duality - accept the negative with the good.

Don't harp on people's negativity, don't judge or fight them. Let them be, look and accept. Remember, your world is no more real than a reflection of who you are, deep inside.

"Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of others." Carl Jung.

Source :http://www.ba-bamail.com/